Floods in Myanmar kill 19, displace thousands
At least 19 people were killed in Myanmar after heavy rains triggered floods in and around the war-torn country's capital city, with rescuers moving some of the 3,600 people displaced to safer areas on boats, Reuters reported, citing the national fire service.
Adverse weather brought on by Typhoon Yagi, the strongest storm to hit Asia this year, has killed more than 230 people in Vietnam and Thailand, and flood waters from swollen rivers have inundated cities in both countries.
About 162 sq km of area around the capital Naypyitaw was flooded on Thursday, according to satellite imagery analysis by the U.N.-backed Myanmar Information Management Unit (MIMU).
Another 366 sq km around Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, also appeared to be under water, according to the analysis.
"In total, 3,602 flood-affected people from 30 locations were rescued and moved," the fire department said in a Facebook post late on Thursday on its Naypyitaw operations, adding 19 people had been killed.
Some buildings were swamped by flood waters and residents, including women and children, were stranded on rooftops before they were brought down into boats by rescue workers, photographs posted by the department showed.